Lamb Casserole with Ale

Winter is most definitely here in Shetland. We had a really mild October; an unseasonably warm month with plenty of sunshine. I’m pretty sure there was more sun in October than there was through the whole summer!

All of a sudden, it felt, we were hit by an icy cold blast from the North. The heaters have been cranked up and new slippers have been ordered online – my goodness the floor is cold.

On the up note, the northern lights were spotted again on a recent clear night.

Hearty, warming comfort food is definitely required.

I’ve teamed up with Tasty Easy Lamb to share one of their delicious and hearty slow cooked lamb recipes with you. The secret ingredients for this tender casserole with a gorgeous thick gravy is a good quality ale, a spoonful of Dijon mustard and Speculoos biscuits!

I’ve been reading all about Speculoos (or Speculaas) on my fellow food blogger’s posts for years now, and the first time I ever had the opportunity to try them for myself was on our summer trip this year to Brussels, Belgium. We were at the Chocolate Museum (yes, they have a chocolate museum!) and the attendant dipped a speculoos biscuit into freshly melted milk chocolate for us to taste test.

Utterly delicious! Like ginger snaps, but with more cinnamon.

Speculoos is a type of spiced shortbread biscuit traditionally baked in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany during the winter festivities.

As chance should have it, lurking in the back of my cupboard there was a packet of Speculoos spice mix and a traditional wooden stamp used to decorate them. I spent a rather pleasant afternoon recently making a batch of these biscuits, enlisting the help of my seven year old with the mixing and stirring.

Lamb. Tasty, Easy, Fun is a new EU campaign launched with funding from the EU. It’s main goals are to encourage home cooks, like you and me, to incorporate more lamb into our diets.

A lot of people think lamb is difficult to cook, that it’s expensive, or it’s just for Sunday roasts. It’s not. The aim of this campaign is to move beyond the mint and demonstrate just how tasty, easy and fun lamb is to cook with in everyday life, like with this recipe, and its addition of biscuits!

I can’t even begin to describe how delicious this recipe is!

The lamb in this dish is slow cooker on the hob over an hour and a half so it’s fork-tender. There’s a gorgeous mustard-kick (you won’t like this recipe if you’re not a fan of mustard) and the sweetness of the speculoos biscuits counteracts the acidity of the ale, resulting in a deliciously moreish gravy-laden casserole perfect for spooning over a pile of creamy mashed potatoes. If you can’t find speculoos biscuits I reckon some Norwegian pepperkaker or even ginger nuts would work well.

Leftovers reheat really well too. The lamb doesn’t lose any of its tenderness, and in all honesty, reheating it seems to mellow the mustard flavour too.

Would you believe my fussy children asked for seconds when I served them this meal? We’re onto a winner here!

For more recipe inspiration, helpful hints on which cuts to choose when you’re at the butchers’ counter and to learn about the vital role that sustainable sheep farming plays in the economy by supporting rural communities across England, Ireland and France visit the Lamb. Tasty, Easy, Fun. website. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram.

This is a sponsored recipe post in collaboration with Lamb. Tasty, Easy, Fun. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.

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Have you made this recipe?

Take a photo and tag @tangoraindrop or use the hashtag #elizabethskitchendiary and share on Instagramand Twitter. It would make my day to see your creations!

I do love a long slowly cooked casserole, so comforting in the winter months, and lamb works so well with long slow cooking. I love the idea of adding the speculoos biscuits, or spice. I’ll be using this ideaHelen @ Fuss Free Flavours recently posted…Mincemeat & Banana Loaf Cake

I love warm hearty foods at this time of year. I never cook with lamb or ale, I’m definitely one of those that thinks it’s difficult and tend to just order it for sunday lunch when I’m out. But this sounds really simple and fun to do. I’m definitely going to experiment a lot more.

Oh my days! I am actually watering at the mouth. We love lamb in our home and this is something I would definitely cook for the winter months 🙂 xJayne @ Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs recently posted…Skip Hop Zoo Travel Accessories For Kids

This sounds delicious! Lamb is not a meat that I would normally cook with but this recipe has inspired me to try it more. The perfect cosy comfort food! 🙂Nikki recently posted…Home … The Site for Getting Things Done

Wow I’d love to see the northern lights you’re so lucky. This dish looks so hearty, delicious, and perfect for the cold winter evenings. I’ve never heard of those speculoos biscuits before but they sound delicious!Emily recently posted…Sausage Stuffing Balls

This looks delicious – lamb is one of my favourite meats, and it’s just perfect for a warming winter casserole! So hungry after reading this now!Milly Y recently posted…Ibis Lates: Live Music In Your Hotel Lobby

Wow! This looks so hearty and comforting. I cooked some lamb in the slow cooker yesterday and it was so delicious. Perfect for this time of year!Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes recently posted…Simple Ways to Relieve Stress & Feel Good

This looks like a hearty, warming meal for this time of year and brimming with meat, especially with the fussy eating kids going back for seconds. I’ve never cooked with ale before but y dad does with his meats x

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